Knitting needle holder



April 9, 1963 F. H. FORD 3,084,788

KNITTING NEEDLE HOLDER Filed July 14, 1961 LFIG '2 I N VE N TOR. Fen/v: /f, Page prraiA/e rs' United States Patent 3,084,788 KNITTING NEEDLE HOLDER Frank H. Ford, 820 Dutton Ave., San Leandro, Calif. Filed July 14, 1961, Ser- No. 124,059 2 Claims. (Cl. 206-17) My invention relates to means especially useful by knitters for storing neatly and with ready availability a substantial assortment of knitting needles of different sizes so that the needles are retained against damage and in condition for prompt use.

Knitters who utilize pairs of knitting needles of different sizes at different times often have difiiculty in maintaining their needles in undamaged condition and ready for quick use and also have some difficulty in determining the particular size of a pair of needles since the original markings thereon are often obliterated and it is diflicult to detect by visual inspection just what size the unmarked needles may be.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a knitting needle holder which will retain a supply of needles of different sizes and retain them against superficial damage and will present them ready for use at any time.

Another object of the invention is to provide a knitting needle holder in which the size of knitting needles can be readily gauged whether or not the needles themselves are marked.

Another object of the invention is to provide a knitting needle holder in which the storage of a large number of knitting needles can readily be arranged in a small space.

Another object of the invention is in general to provide an improved knitting needle holder.

Other objects together with the foregoing are attained in the embodiment of the invention described in the accompanying description and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a knitting needle holder constructed in accordance with my invention.

FIGURE 2 is a cross section on an axial diametrical plane with portions of the figure broken away to reduce its size.

FIGURE 3 is a plan of one of the apertured plates utilized in connection with the knitting needle holder.

While the structure pursuant to the invention can be fabricated and embodied in a number of different ways it has successfully been made as illustrated herein to accommodate a number of knitting needles of different sizes. Usually knitting needles are used in one or more pairs and hence the knitting needle holder is primarily designed for retaining, pending use, a number of pairs of knitting needles, although individual needles can be retained as well. Conveniently the holder comprises an exterior cylindrical container 6 conveniently fabricated of a transparent, relatively stiff plastic material cut to an appropriate length and having a bottom closure plate 7 permanently fixed in position to serve as an end closure for the holder. The upper, opposite end of the holder is provided with a removable top 8 either fabricated of a clear plastic similar to that of the body 6 or of an opaque decorative material. The top 8 is a disc with a down-turned flange 9 frictionally engageable with the upper end of the body 6 so as to be readily removable. A cord 11 passes through an opening 12 in the cover 8 and is provided with free ends 13 so that the cover can readily be removed in the event the cord is attached to the cover only, or if the cord 11 is also passed through a similar aperture 14 in the body 6 then the cord serves as a sort of hinge connector so that the cover 8 although readily moved to one side will not be detached or lost from the container 6.

Designed to fit transversely across the container on the interior thereof and to be symmetrically disposed with the longitudinal axis of the container are transverse plates 16 and 17 conveniently fabricated of relatively thick plastic material. These plates are identical and each is provided with a number of apertures 18 for the reception of knitting needles. Conveniently there is an outer ring 19 of apertures of gradually decreasing large size, an intermediate ring 21 of apertures of gradually decreasing medium size and finally an inner ring 22 of apertures of gradually decreasing small size.

Since various numbers of needles are to be accommodated and since frequently two pairs of needles the same size are useful the apertures are preferably arranged in groups of four, all apertures in the group being of the same size and being exactly of a diameter just to receive two pairs of knitting needles of the intended size. For convenience, the four apertures in each group are dis tinguished by a bracket 23 embossed in or otherwise appearing in the material of the plate and carrying a size number 24. The size number 24 and the bracket 23 together constitute an indicium indicating the location and size of the four apertures in the group. The various indicia for the various sizes usually appear substantially as shown in FIGURE 3.

The two plates '16 and 17 are positioned within the container at appropriately spaced axial locations. A spacer sleeve 27 at one end abuts the bottom 7 and at the other end abuts the lower side of one of the discs 17 thus appropriately disposing the disc 17 with respect to the bottom. Also, a spacer tube 28 at one end abuts the plate 17 and at the other end contacts the plate 16 so that the upper plate 16 is appropriately spaced from the lower one as well as from the bottom of the container. Conveniently, the spacer tube 28 is secured by adhesive to the plate 16 and also to the plate 17 in such a fashion that apertures of corresponding diameter in the two plates are in reasonably accurate axial alignment. While the spacer tube 28 and the discs 16 and 17 can also be ad hesively secured to the container 6 if desired, this is not normally necessary since the frictional fit of the interior parts and the container 6 is sufficient to retain the discs and tube in normal, axial position.

It is important that the points of the knitting needles be retained sharp and be kept from blunting. For that reason there is preferably positioned within the container against the bottom 7 a pad or cushion 29. This is made of a spongy, plastic material and serves not only to protect the sharp ends of the needles but also, since it is readily indented when the needles are positioned, serves as a positioning device and also prevents the needles from rattling.

In the use of the device when the cover 8 is dislodged knitting needles of appropriate sizes are inserted through the aligned apertures in the plates 16 and 17 and their points come to rest against or even within the material of the cushion 29. Since the indicia 23 and 24 are readily visible from the outside of the container 6 through the transparent Wall thereof or through the upper end of the container when the cover 8 is removed, it is easy to select needles of the appropriate size from their stored position. Also, if needles that are unmarked are available they can be inserted into empty ones of the apertures until such time as apertures are found which the needles exactly fit. (it is then easy to determine the needle size. When all of the various apertures have been appropriately supplied with needles, a comprehensive set available for multitudinous uses is readily available, the needles being withdrawable for use, when the cover is removed, simply by extraction axially from their frictional lodgment within the plates 16 and 17.

What is claimed is:

1. A knitting needle holder comprising a cylindrical container having a bottom and having a transparent plastie wall, a pair of identical plates extending transversely of said container into frictional engagement with said wall, each of said plates having apertures of different sizes therein, a spacer tube abutting said wall and adhesively secured to said plates for holding said plates in axially spaced relationship and with said apertures of corresponding size in axial alignment, a spacer sleeve abutting said wall and also abutting said bottom andthe adjacent one of said plates, and indicia on at least one of said plates adjacent said apertures and visible through said wall.

2. A device as in claim 1 including a cushion abutting said bottom and within said spacer sleeve in axial alignment with said apertures.

93,499 Timby Aug. 10, 1869 816,959 Briganti Apr. 3, 1906 1,126,737 Edelstein Feb. 2, 1915 11,187,566 Taylor June 20, 1916 1,192,744 Brough July 25, 1916 2,925,100 Senger Feb. 16, 1960 2,929,510 Penn Mar. 22, 1960 2,962,154 Falk Nov. 29, 1960 2,974,825 Ross Mar. 14, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 320,712 Switzerland May 31, 1957 

1. A KNITTING NEEDLE HOLDER COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL CONTAINER HAVING A BOTTOM AND HAVING A TRANSPARENT PLASTIC WALL, A PAIR OF IDENTICAL PLATES EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID CONTAINER INTO FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID WALL, EACH OF SAID PLATES HAVING APERTURES OF DIFFERENT SIZES THEREIN, A SPACER TUBE ABUTTING SAID WALL AND ADHESIVELY SECURED TO SAID PLATES FOR HOLDING SAID PLATES IN AXIALLY SPACED RELATIONSHIP AND WITH SAID APERTURES OF CORRESPONDING SIZE IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT, A SPACER SLEEVE ABUTTING SAID WALL AND ALSO ABUTTING SAID BOTTOM AND THE ADJACENT ONE OF SAID PLATES, AND INDICIA ON AT LEAST ONE OF SAID PLATES ADJACENT SAID APERTURES AND VISIBLE THROUGH SAID WALL. 